


An Idol's Life is Not Easy

by QuietFooding



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Dangan Ronpa AU, Idol AU, M/M, makoto is an idol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:41:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23426407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QuietFooding/pseuds/QuietFooding
Summary: Makoto is an underground idol trying to make it big. At one of his performances he gets noticed!Rated for the future, rating might change
Relationships: Naegi Makoto/Togami Byakuya
Comments: 6
Kudos: 59





	1. Chapter 1

Makoto looked up at the shining stage. It wasn’t that often that he got to see idol events live, so when he was able to make it out to one it was a very special moment. He had everything that made him look like a typical person that would attend these events regularly, which included two penlights, the live-specific towel, and the t-shirt. He wanted to be up on that stage, performing for thousands of fans, but from where he was now, he couldn’t. He was in the scene, yes, but he was a small idol that wasn’t seeing much growth. As much as people said he was talented he wished someone that mattered would show up at one of his performances. He wanted to move up in the idol scene, but he was stuck close to the bottom. There wasn’t much he could do about it though, except keep doing what he loved, performing.

He shook the thought from his mind. That wasn’t why he was here at the concert venue. He was here to enjoy the idols he came to see. The concert hadn’t started yet at that point, so he had let those thoughts infiltrate his mind for that small period.

The lights finally dimmed, and the big screen lit up with the concert name, and then each one of the members of the group one by one. Then they appeared on stage. This was a group that included both men and women, which was an interesting dynamic you didn’t see too often. Maybe that was the reason they became so popular, but the only other reason he could think of was that their leader was none other than Sayaka Maizono. She was the best idol in all of Japan, and just happened to be one of his friends. She couldn’t get him tickets, but he was lucky to be able to attend anyway.

With Japanese concerts being entirely lottery based for whether you even got to attend, and if you did get selected, the seats were randomly generated. Makoto was lucky to get a seat so close to the stage, as he usually was further away.

By the time the concert was over, he was feeing rejuvenated. Going to these concerts always left him with a newfound excitement to keep working on his skills in singing and dancing. He had his own live performance coming up in the underground scene the next weekend, and he had to prepare.

Once he got home, he took a shower to wash off the sweat from jumping cheering on the group he looked up to. He truly enjoyed seeing these performances alongside performing himself. After his shower he pulled out his notebook and continued to write lyrics to his new song. This song was one he was extremely proud of. He hoped that maybe he would get noticed this time.

After the lyrics were complete Makoto spent the next week perfecting the performance aspect. His singing and dancing were coming along nicely. There were things he could improve on still, which was completely normal, but from where he began just over a year ago it was a definite improvement.

The date of the performance came up faster than he thought, he was so busy with practicing that time flew by faster than normal. The morning of he packed his small suitcase with everything he’d need for the day which included his stage outfit, a separate change of clothes, some basic make-up, and of course, water and snacks. He left his apartment excited to get his day started. He needed to arrive a few hours early to make sure everything was alright. Between making sure the stage lighting and the sound quality was good, he also had to make sure he did a dress rehearsal before the actual performance that night. 

As usual he wasn’t the only performer. Makoto couldn’t hold a one-man concert yet; he wasn’t popular enough to sell that many tickets on his own. When he entered the green room, he looked around and saw the usual bunch of people. There were the odd few that moved up, and the newbies that replaced those people, but the majority were familiar faces. He waved and smiled at each of them but settled next to one of his best friends in the business, Sonia Nevermind. Makoto was sure Sonia would have been scouted by now, but she had mentioned she enjoyed just being with her friends and didn’t want to leave them behind. She was more of an elegant performer, as she didn’t dance much but focused more on her singing. Sonia always wore these beautiful dresses with a bit of sparkle while she was on stage, and tonight wasn’t any different. She had a bit more money to spend on those kinds of things, Makoto thought.

“Hey Sonia, you ready for tonight?” Makoto asked.

“Hello, Makoto! Yes, I even got a new outfit ready! What about you?” Sonia responded.

Makoto nodded, smiling “It looks great! I’m pretty sure I’m ready myself, although I’m a bit nervous this time as I wrote a new song”

“Thank you! Oh, that’s amazing! I can’t wait to hear it! I’m sure you’ll do great”

“Same to you” Makoto continued to smile, reassured that his performance would go well. His nerves were calmed a bit after speaking to his friend.

As time passed Makoto put his outfit on, which consisted of straight black pants tucked into knee-high black boots with dark green laces, a black short sleeved suit-like jacket with a dark green vest and white button-up dress shirt underneath. He also had a lighter green bowtie on to complete the look. He was dressed to impress, as he would definitely need to impress someone he didn’t know was coming tonight.

Makoto had finished his preparations including the sound check and dress rehearsal and he was ready to go. They were about 30 minutes from the concert start time and the staff were letting in the final few ticket holders into the venue. It wasn’t a big venue, as it held approximately 200 people at the maximum, but it was homier this way. As usual, he felt the butterflies in his stomach, as they never truly left no matter how many times he performed. Especially since he’d be performing a new song. The rehearsal went well though, so the show should run smoothly.

The show order had him in the middle of the concert, but Sonia ended up performing right before him and completely wowing the crowd as per usual. After she finished her song, they smiled at each other backstage in passing.  
By the time Makoto went on stage, his nerves completely melted when he got into his starting position. Then the music hit, and his body moved on his own. Makoto knew this routine like the back of his hand by this point, and he felt like he was doing better than ever. He finished his routine and the crowd cheered. The green penlights in the crowd always gave extra energy, as they meant the crowd was cheering for him.

After his performance, he bowed and headed off stage to watch the rest of the performers from the sidelines. What Makoto didn’t know is that he caught the attention of a well-known man in the industry.

As usual after the concert, they had a meet-and-greet time where the audience was able to buy performer-specific merchandise and chekis, which are photos with and then customized by the performer. Makoto stood at his usual spot in the lineup waiting for people to come by and either chat with him or get an autograph.

A blonde man that seemed a bit familiar to Makoto walked up to his booth. It wasn’t one of his usual fans, so he wasn’t too sure on who he was, but his face just rang a bell.

After a moment, the blonde spoke, “I’m interested in recruiting you”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for checking out my AU fanfic! I should be giving regular weekly updates, should I remember


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto and Byakuya meet for the first time and the ball starts rolling!

“I’m interested in recruiting you”

Makoto had to do a double take. He wasn’t sure if he heard the tall blonde correctly. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Don’t make me repeat myself” the tall blonde seemed annoyed at having to make that statement.

It clicked in Makoto’s head after a moment that he was being recruited into a bigger company and he took a proper look at who the blonde was. It was none other than Byakuya Togami, one of the recruiters of the Togami Group. They have produced some of the idols that are now at the very top of the rankings.

“M-me? Are you sure?”

“Yes. Are you not interested?”

Makoto looked into Byakuya’s eyes. “I’m definitely interested.”

He was 100 percent interested in moving higher. This was his dream after all, and this was his chance.

Byakuya handed Makoto a black business card that had his office phone number and email on it.

“Send me an email with your schedule and we’ll figure out a time to meet in a more private setting.”

“T-thank you!” Makoto managed to stutter out as Byakuya walked away with a stiff wave.

It took Makoto a minute to process what had just happened. Him of all people getting recruited, and someone from the Togami Group even liking his performance? He pinched his forearm and felt pain. This truly wasn’t a dream.

He spent the rest of his evening with his fans, signing autographs and taking chekis. These memories for his fans were special for him as well, each and every one.

After the meet and greet ended, he was back in the green room getting changed back into his street clothes. He noticed Sonia walking up to him, so he turned to look at her.

“I noticed someone handing you their card, Makoto. What happened if you don’t mind me asking?” her soft but serious tone was quiet enough that no one else in the room would hear her.

“I got scouted” he whispered back. “I’ll text you about the details later, I don’t want everyone here knowing quite yet.”

“Oh Makoto, I’m so excited for you!” She gave him a quick hug.

After letting go, Makoto looked at his phone and at the time. “I’m sorry Sonia but I have to get going! It’s getting late” he apologized with a wave as he walked out of the room.

Sonia waved back with a smile, supporting her friend in whatever his future endeavors were.

Once Makoto got back to his apartment, he took a shower and made a quick meal of leftover rice and chicken with some freshly cut carrots. It didn’t take him long to eat his dinner and he ended up relaxing on his couch. He remembered he was going to text Sonia about what had happened today and pulled out his phone to a text from her already.

Sonia: Hey! So, what exactly happened today?

Makoto: So get this, one of the people from Togami Group, none other than Byakuya Togami, the heir to the top of the company came up to me and told me he wanted to recruit me!

Sonia: That’s crazy!

Makoto: I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming. Someone like him liking my performance? It must be a dream, right?

Sonia: I think it’s an opportunity you should take, Makoto.

Makoto: That’s what I’m thinking. It’s not something that comes often, if at all.

Sonia: You should contact Mr. Togami before going to sleep.

Sonia: It’s time for me to start getting ready for bed as well. Don’t forget about me once you make it big!

Makoto: Thank you for reminding me, Sonia. Have a good night!

He put his phone away and opened his laptop. He spent the good part of the next half hour typing up an email that included how serious he was about this opportunity and his upcoming schedule. He included his next two performances with his current underground promotion, which gave Byakuya the next month to work with in terms of getting a meeting set up. Makoto ended the email with his cell number and email for contact purposes, even if his contact email was the one he was sending the email from. He felt butterflies in his stomach after sending the email off, no matter how much he stared at Byakuya’s sleek business card or seeing the face of someone who was considered royalty in the business.

After sending off the email, Makoto snuggled under his bed sheets, as it was getting later still, and he was getting more and more sleepy by the minute. He couldn’t push the thought of what his life was going to be like as he moved up the ranks, and he was ready for the hardships of working from the bottom next to a manager like Byakuya Togami.

As Makoto was sleeping soundly, a response email came through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might write the next chapter in Byakuya's POV, what do you guys think?


	3. First Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Makoto goes to meet up with Byakuya.

When Makoto woke up the next morning, he checked his email account immediately. What was awaiting him was an email from Byakuya, which was sent at 4 o’clock in the morning. 

Makoto, not fazed by the time the email was sent, brushed a hand through his messy hair and sat down to give it a read, his emotions running high as he scrolled through the detailed email. 

Byakuya had wanted to meet him that afternoon for coffee to discuss things further, and from the wording in the email he wouldn’t take no for an answer. The details in the email included what time to be there by and which coffee shop he wanted to meet the shorter boy at. From what Makoto could gather, this wasn’t just some fluke that happened in his dreams. 

Stretching, Makoto got up and headed into his small apartment kitchen and pulled out some eggs, pre-shredded cheese, ham, and green peppers, placing them on the counter. Today he was going to have an omelette, even if he wasn’t the best at preparing them. They usually ended up as just regular scrambled eggs with the vegetables and meat mixed in versus being cleanly folded, no matter how many times he’s attempted; it just wasn’t a skill of his.

After eating he settled down and relaxed, scrolling Twitter to check how his friends were doing and to see if there was any news about the next shows of his favourite artists. He didn’t have to leave right away so he took some much-needed time for himself. He could be practicing or writing lyrics, but he didn’t want to wear himself out before going out to get possibly the best opportunity in his life.

When it was closer to the time to leave, Makoto got dressed and made himself look decent. It was the beginning of summer, so he decided on a pair of dark jeans and a green t-shirt. He put on his signature red shoes and before he left, he double checked himself in the mirror to make sure his hair wasn’t overly messy, he wanted to be completely presentable.

Of course, it was just his luck that when he stepped outside it was windy. He hadn’t bothered to check the weather because it had been great the past couple of days. By the time he got to the café, he had a few extra stuck up hairs that he couldn’t control.

Makoto thought he had arrived early when he entered the café, but the man he was looking for was already sitting down at a table with his laptop out typing something. Makoto took notice to the small stack of papers next to the laptop, he didn’t want to assume it was a contract but from what he knew about the Togami Group, it wouldn’t have taken them long to draw one up.

He walked towards the table, hoping he didn’t look too nervous. Byakuya had noticed his presence before he reached his destination and motioned for him to sit down across from him.

Makoto sat down at the chair across from Byakuya. This was the first time he had properly gotten a look at Byakuya; Makoto had only seen him in photos previously. He ended up getting lost in how beautiful this man was, he would even go as far as to say this man was perfect in almost every way visually. Makoto had to snap himself out of his train of thought though, as Byakuya had started speaking.

“You came, I didn’t think you would after I didn’t get a response to the email this morning” Byakuya said flatly.

“Ah, I’m sorry about that. I had become too excited and it had slipped my mind” Makoto blushed; he should have remembered to respond. He made a mental note to make sure to respond next time.

“No matter, I assume you want to join our agency?”

“Absolutely, I would do anything to move up and stand on that shining stage” Makoto was very determined, he wouldn’t just give up his dreams for some tiny thing.

“You have to be sure. If you sign with us, you’ll be on a stricter training schedule and be on a specific diet to make sure you stay in shape”

Makoto nodded, “I had figured as much. Even though it’s a tough road ahead I am prepared to push myself to my limits to achieve my goals”

Byakuya looked into Makoto’s eyes, as if he was making sure that Makoto was absolutely serious. He picked up the stack of papers and passed them to Makoto. “Here’s the contract that I have personally drawn up for you. Take careful consideration to everything inside before you sign it. I will give you two days to look over it and then get back to me over e-mail. That should be plenty of time. If you choose to sign it, we will meet again and discuss things further.”

“Fair enough. Thank you for taking time out of your, I assume, busy schedule to meet with me.” Makoto stood and extended his hand, which Byakuya took as they shook hands.

“I will be awaiting your response” Byakuya curtly nodded at Makoto before looking back at his laptop.

Makoto decided to grab a coffee before heading out, deciding to treat himself to a caramel macchiato.

After getting his drink he gave a short wave to Byakuya before heading back to his apartment to read over the contract to make sure he was happy with the terms and conditions before signing his life away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for not writing this chapter in Byakuya's perspective, I just feel like this fanfic as of right now works better when it's from Makoto's perspective.


End file.
